Keeping the Thanksgiving holiday healthy

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Thanksgiving is around the corner, and many are planning how to eat as much as they can on the big day. Nutritionists say there are many ways to take care of ourselves while still gobbling down our favorites this holiday.

Some families have already planned how to eat more food on Thanksgiving. “We eat at one or two in the afternoon, so at that time we are starving because we haven’t had breakfast and we eat a really small dinner the night before, so we can just gorge ourselves in food,”  says Ryan Breneman, former BYU student and Thanksgiving-lover.

However, during Thanksgiving, as D. Pauline Williams of the BYU Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science Department said, there is more to be grateful for than just all the food.

“You can celebrate and you can enjoy the food, but also remember that we have our health to think about and that is one of the things we should be thankful for,” Williams says.

Many nutritionists say there are also other steps you can take to prepare a healthier meal.

Williams suggests “cooking things to (the) correct temperature, so cooking your turkey to 165 degrees, keeping it hot, (and) keeping cold things cold,” Williams says.

Cold or hot, many are looking forward to filling up more than once or even twice.

“You gotta pace yourself out on Thanksgiving (and)…not get too over-excited with the first plate, so you can go back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths and even go back for a fifth round,”  says Jason Arias, BYU student and Thanksgiving-lover.

However,  many experts say maybe we should think twice about stuffing ourselves, and that we should try keeping the holiday healthy.

“When you fill out your plate for Thanksgiving, you can just fill half of the plate with fruits and vegetables, and have some turkey and some rolls in the other half,” Williams says.

Additionally, although it may be hard for some, experts say to only eat one piece of pie. Williams tells us what to do if there are more pies we want to eat.

“If there are three or four different kinds, maybe…pumpkin, pecan and apple; you can have a sliver of each of those so it equates to one total piece of pie,” Williams says.

Nutritionists also say to pay attention to our bodies during the dinner.

“One of the things you can really do at thanksgiving is listen to your body, and when it says I’m full, then stop eating,” Williams says.

Following this advice, dietitians say you will be able to taste everything at Thanksgiving and keep yourself feeling great.

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